Behold The Greatness Of God The Son Series

Behold the Greatness of God

(Part 2 - God the Son)

Col 1:1-18

Sermon by Rick Crandall

McClendon Baptist Church - Jan. 27, 2008

*Pastor Michael Bird tells a story from his days as a young soldier in the Australian army. One Friday night, Michael and a few mates were ordered to guard a truck loaded with ammunition, and Michael said, “Well, as you can imagine most young men had other things planned rather than guarding a truck on a Friday night. -- So we sat around moping, not terribly pleased with the situation.

*Finally, an old man in a tank top and a pair of shorts approached us and asked us why we looked so frustrated. We told him about the stupid job we had and how we’d rather be out partying with our friends. He then asked us about the unit and what we thought about the hierarchy and officers. It was a time for us to unload a heap of stuff we weren’t happy about.

*He then asks us what we thought about the new commanding officer. We then told him that he was some pen-pushing looser from Canberra who we hadn’t met yet called Lieutenant Colonel Power.

*He then asked me my name and I told him. And I asked him his and he said, ‘Bob Power.’ -- It didn’t click automatically. I said, ‘Hey, that’s amazing. -- That’s the same name as our new. . .’

*Suddenly it dawned on me that this WAS the new commanding officer. My mind was filled with horrendous images of me cutting the lawn with a pair of nail clippers or washing floors with my tooth brush. Lucky for me Colonel Power had a sense of humor.

*One thing I did learn from that episode was that my relationship with him changed radically when I had realized who he was and the extent of his authority.” (1)

*The same thing is true with Jesus Christ. The more we realize who He really is, the more we will give Him the worship and praise He deserves. Let’s do that today! “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.” (Psalm 34:3)

1. Give glory to God the Son! -- First, because Jesus gives us life worth living.

*Jesus Christ gives us the only life worth living, and Paul shows us many reasons why in vs. 1-11. Let’s take a few moments to look at some of the wonderful blessings we have in Jesus:

*In vs. 1, the Lord gives us faithful friends like Paul and Timothy:

-Friends in vs. 3 who are always praying for us.

-Friends in vs. 7&8 who are serving the Lord for our great benefit -- helping us to grow in Christian love.

-Praise the Lord for giving us a life worth living! -- A life blessed by Godly friends.

*Then in vs. 2, it’s a life filled with grace and peace.

-In vs. 4, a life filled with faith and love.

-In vs. 5, a life filled with the sure hope of Heaven.

*Also in vs. 5&6, it’s a life based on the truth and producing Godly fruit. Then in vs. 9-11, it’s a life filled with God’s knowledge, wisdom, understanding, strength, patience and joy. And though we often fall short, it’s a worthy life. Jesus Christ gives us the only life worth living.

*We can see the transforming power of Jesus Christ in the life of a little boy named Ben. When Ben was just 8, his father abandoned their family. His mother worked at many jobs in order to support her children, but they were barely making it.

*Ben started goofing-off at school and never did his work. Mom saw his grades slipping, cut his TV time, and put him on a strict schedule of book reports that eventually brought his grades back up. But Ben still had a problem: He had an awful temper. There were even times when he threatened his mother.

*The turning point in Ben’s life came when he tried to stab a friend. He would have killed the other boy. -- But by the grace of God, his knife hit the boy’s belt buckle instead of his stomach. After Ben realized what he had done, he was overcome with sadness and fear. But Ben did the best thing he could have done. He turned to the Bible and found the guidance he needed.

*Jesus Christ gave Ben a life worth living. He decided to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. He only had $10 to use for college application fees, so he sent his one application to Yale. And the rest is history, -- For poor little Ben, the abandoned child, the class cut-up, and the violent young man, grew up to be Dr. Ben Carson, one of the best pediatric neurosurgeons in the world. He was head of the panel of doctors who conducted the first successful separation of Siamese twins joined at the back of the head. (2)